Building on Daufuskie

If you’re thinking of buying land and building a home on Daufuskie, here are some things to know before starting any work:

1. Lots cannot be clear cut. If the lot is on the river or the marsh, any vegetation within 60ft of the OCRM (Office of Coastal Resource Management) line cannot be cleared or disturbed. That line is determined by your surveyor but must be certified by OCRM (your surveyor will arrange the certification). If one assumes the line is at the top of the bank, that should be close. The vegetation reinforces the bank and helps to prevent erosion in tropical storms and hurricanes. There are severe penalties for violations.
2. Trees cannot be cut down without a permit.
3. Lots in Melrose, Oak Ridge, Beachfield, or Bloody Point, will be under the jurisdiction of OCRM if they are ocean front or possibly second or third row. Before doing any work, an application must be submitted to OCRM for the required permits. Damaging the primary dune system is a very serious offense.
4. Some Zoning Districts on the island require a vegetative buffer to be left along the road. This is to maintain the rural character of Daufuskie and to preserve the canopied roads.
5. To build a home on Daufuskie Island, the following permits and approvals must be obtained:
   1. Septic System Permit from SC Dept. of Health & Environmental Control (“DHEC”). This does not apply if your land is served by the DI Utility Co.
   2. Erosion Control Permit
   3. Stormwater Permit
   4. Zoning Permit
   5. Well (unless your land is served by the DI Utility Co or a community well)
   6. Building Permit
6. The home must pass Beaufort County inspections during construction and a Certificate of Occupancy is required before moving in.
7. Tiny homes are not allowed on Daufuskie. It is nothing to do with their size, it is because they are not inspected during construction by Beaufort County, and they are therefore not in compliance with Beaufort County’s adopted building codes (IRC 2018).
8. If the lot is in a subdivision, the protective covenants, in addition to other constraints, will specify the minimum floor area and set-backs required.
9. Campers and RVs are not legal dwelling units and may not be brought to the island for use as residences. The only exception is that if you are building a home yourself, as an approved “Owner-Builder” with construction in process, you may be able to get approval from Beaufort County to have a camper on the construction site for a limited period of time, at the end of which the camper must leave the island.
10. Shipping containers, storage buildings and tents are not allowed to be used as residences.
11. Manufactured homes are not encouraged because Wind Zone II homes are only rated for 100 mph wind speed, which is not enough for the exposed location of Daufuskie Island. All dwelling units transported to the island must contain a South Carolina Code Council seal/permit. Dwelling units with a HUD seal or registered

Revised 4/15/22